"I couldn't say no," Pearl smiled now. "But by the time I got to the orphanage I could barely speak." Pause. "Mrs Henry drove me to the hospital and I've been here since yesterday morning."
Jesse shook his head. "Where was your inhaler?"
"At the hotel," she admitted sheepishly.
"Geez. Thank goodness you're okay."
"Being stuck to a ventilator and IV drip isn't my definition of 'okay', but I get what you mean."
Jesse laughed. "Lighten up, Guthrie. I'm sure you've been through worse."
"I guess so."
"Señorita Guthrie!" called a sing song voice.
The both of them turned their eyes toward the door.
"Oh my," the nurse looked up from the charts. "I didn't know you had a visitor."
"It's okay. Have you come to tell me I can leave now?"
"Is this your husband, Señorita Guthrie?"
"No-" Pearl began.
"Your boyfriend?"
"No, Nurse Patrone, he's just my friend- and he's a doctor."
"A doctor? Ai, so handsome! You're lucky to have such a handsome man look after you."
Jesse laughed.
Pearl introduced them and then asked the nurse again about being able to leave.
Patrone checked the IV and noted vitals on her chart before saying the doctor would be in within the hour so any time after that Pearl would be discharged.
"Good thing Dr Murray is here now. I feel better about letting you go."
Pearl leaned back against the pillows once the nurse was gone. "At least that's settled."
"Are you going home once you're a little stronger?"
"Oh no, I've got that handball player to deal with. Remember I mentioned her a while ago?"
Jesse nodded.
"I'll be going to work with her as soon as I can."
Jesse pursed his lips but said nothing. He just nodded again and sat down.
Pearl shifted about on the bed and said, "I'm going to try and nap again until the doctor shows up."
"Good idea."
Pearl dozed off and when she woke up, it was dark outside. Jesse wasn't in the chair beside her bed. The lamp nearby near was on, but no one was in the room with her. Her arm didn't have a drip in it anymore, so she decided to run to the bathroom first before investigating.
It took her a long while to get out of the high bed and shuffle to the toilet and she was exhausted by the time she got back to the bed.
It took all of Jesse's willpower to let Pearl make the seemingly endless trek back to her bed by herself.
He had just come from the admin desk when Pearl was heading toward the bathroom. Her tired breathing had worried him but he knew Pearl had to keep working toward her recovery.
So when Pearl finally threw herself on the bed, he said softly, "You know, you could just ask for help next time."
Without turning her head, Pearl retorted, "What use is all that muscle when all you do is watch patients struggle?"
Jesse laughed. "Your problem is you want to do everything on your own." Pause. "That will needs breaking."
Pearl surprised him by sighing. "I know… you are so right. I'm doing it again."
Jesse moved forward and said, "I was just teasing."
"I know." Pearl turned to look at him. "But it's true."
"Alright," Jesse said cheerfully, "good thing is I'm here and I will make you need me.'
That made Pearl laugh.
"Let's get you out of here." Moving around the bed, Jesse grabbed the bag holding Pearl's clothes.
"The doctor cleared me?"
"Yep."
"Oh, thank the Lord!"
"I'll be right outside the door. Give a shout when you've changed your clothes."
"Ugh yes! Finally."
"I'm done!" she called out five minutes later.
Jesse stepped back into Pearl's hospital room and looked at her. She was flushed in the face and her hair was dishevelled.
He swallowed a chuckle. "You look gorgeous."
Pearl stuck her tongue out. Then she eyed the wheelchair he was pushing.
"I don't need that."
"Indulge me," he responded good-naturedly. Holding an arm out to her, Jesse helped Pearl down from the bed and into the wheel chair.
Nurse Patrone waved to them on their way out of the room.
"Don't we need to stop and sign me out?"
"Already done," he assured her.
"Oh. Okay."
The front doors opened and Jesse pushed her out of the hospital. Almost immediately a car rolled up and a man jumped out of the driver's seat to open the door for Pearl.
She looked up at Jesse, curiously. He shrugged and helped her up again. Handing Pearl into the car, he took the wheelchair back to the hospital lobby. Then he got in the back seat of the town car with Pearl and asked her where she was staying.
"The Sheraton."
The driver nodded and pressed a button that closed the partition between them.
"Tomorrow, I'd like you to stay indoors."
Pearl looked at him in surprise. "What?"
"I'd like to establish a base line for your current condition."
Pearl opened her mouth and Jesse interrupted her, "If you say you're fine, I'll send you back to the hospital.'
She shut her mouth.
"Good. This is for your own recovery."
Pearl nodded. "I know," she admitted reluctantly.
"When we get to the hotel, I'll have to check in then I'll escort you to your room to make sure you're comfortable."
He was really going to take care of her? "Okay."
"Then I recommend you turn off your phone and get some sleep. I'm going to call the folks back home, and I'm sure someone will try to check in with you after that."
"Right. I can do that."
"Super."
There was a long pause and then Jesse spoke again. "I know you don't like to surrender your control to humans, Pearl." She smiled at that and he continued. "I just want to help you, that's all... but you are going to have to let me."
Pear nodded. "I understand. And I do appreciate you coming out here to check on me."
"Any time."